Gold-saving apparatus.



No. 683,6l3.

.Patented Oct. 1, I90. A. MARCOTTE.

GUL'D SAVING APPARATUS (A ucauon filed Apr. 24, 1901.)

(No Model.)

THE NORRIS mans 60 FNOTOUTNOW wsamomn, n. c

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED MARCOTTE, OF GASTON, CALIFORNIA.

coLo -sAvmc APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 683,613, dated October1, 1901.

I Application filed April 24, 1901. Serial No. 57,257. (No model.)

T0 at wit/0771, it ntrty caccrn:

Be it known that I, ALFRED MARCOTTE, a citizen of Canada, residing atGaston, county of Nevada, State of California, have invented anImprovement in Gold-Saving Apparatus; and I hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Myinvention relates to an apparatus which is designed for saving goldwhich is so fine and light that it is carried along at or near thesurface of the flowing pulp and Water with which it is mixed.

My invention consists of a sluice, a supply tank or hopper with anautomatically-operating gate, by which the material is periodicallydischarged into the sluice, a series of counterbalanced amalgamated orblanketcovered plates, and a means for suspending them between theirends so that the current flowing beneath will contact with the lowersurfaces of the plates and any gold carried thereby may be amalgamatedor caught by the rough or blanket surfaces. The lower end of the sluicebeyond these plates may have a reservoir of quicksilver, through whichthe heavier material passes before escaping from the sluice and by whichany remaining gold will be caught and retained.

The invention also comprises details of construction, which will be morefully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a sluice, showing thegold-saving device in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan of one of thegold-saving plates. Fig. 3 is a front view of a suspending-rod andweight. Fig. at is a section of a portion of one of the plates, showingan under surfaceof fibrous or blanket material.

A is a sluice having any desired length of inclination. IVithin thissluice are suspended my devices for saving gold. These devices consistof plates 2 3 at, which may be used either separately, in series, or anynumber of them in conjunction, as may be desired. The plates may be madeeither entirely of metal or they may be made partly of metal and partlyof wood. They may be made in single metal sheets, as at 2 and 3, or theymay be made in two or more parts, one of which is adjustable withrelation to the other. These plates are suspended by shafts, as 6,extending transversely across the sluice and passing through upturnedlugs 7 upon the sides of the plates, so that the plates are suspendedwith their lower surfaces a short distance above the bottom of thesluice. These lower surfaces are either silvered or amalgamated, asbefore stated, or in some cases they may be covered with a rough fibrousor blanket material, as at 3, which will catch particles of gold, whichmay be rusted or otherwise in such condition that they will notamalgamate, but which can be detained by such surfaces. The plates arepreferably suspended from points nearer the upper end, and the lowersurfaces are curved, as shown, so that when the current passes beneaththem the lower ends of the plates will be lifted and, as it were,floated upon the surface of the water by reason of the current passingbeneath them. In order to properly counterbalance these plates, I haveshown weights, as at 8, with rods or connections 9, upon which they arecarried and upon which they may be adjusted to or from the fulcrum-rodfrom which the plates are suspended. This allows me to adjust the weightof the lower endof the plate with relation to the force of the currentflowing beneath, so that the pressure upon the surface of the water canbe regulated, and the rubbing contact of the flowing pulp and particlesof fine gold carried thereby will cause the gold to adhere to thesilvered or amalgamated surface of the plate or to be entangled inthefibers of the blanket or similar material with which the lower surfacesof the plates may be coated. In some cases it may be found convenient.to adjust the plates by fitting them to slide in the turned-over edgesof another plate, which serves as a guide, as at 10. In this case theplate at may be moved backward or forward with relation to thesuspending-shaft, the lugs of which are carried upon the turnedoverplate, and the adjustment maybe made without the use of any supplementalWeight, such as is shown at 8. If found desirable,

it will be understood that as many of theseroc In some cases thematerial may be in the form of thin light scales, which will be carriedupon the surface in such a manner that it would be easily entangled withand arrested by the blanket-surface. In either case the character of thegold may be such that it will easily amalgamate or be arrested by thesilvered or amalgamated surfaces, and in some cases where the gold iswhat is known as rusty and it will not easily amalgamate the passagebeneath a number of these surfaces and the rubbing contact therewithwill sufficiently brighten the gold so that it will at least adhere.Some of the gold may be of sufficient weight to settle upon the bottomof the sluice, and I have therefore shown part or all the sluice, as maybe desired, having the silvered or amalgamated plate, as at 11, fittedin the bottom, over which the pulp and water will pass, and in someportion of this plate is a sunken pocket or depression, as at 12, whichserves to contain mercury, into which any particles of gold that mayhave hitherto escaped will pass and where it will be arrested andamalgamated.

As shown at 5, the plate may be made convex upon both sides. It may beof wood or other material, and upon one side is fixed a metal silveredor amalgamated plate and upon the other a blanket or other fibroussurface, so that a single plate can be employed by reversing, and inthis construction the counterbalance-weight 8 is carried upon the rod orsupport 9, which may be pivoted in the sides of the block 5, there beingseveral openings to allow it to be adjusted toward either end toregulate the pressure of the flow upon the surface of the pulp flowingbeneath, as before described. In order to supply this sluice with thepulp and pass it through with a pcriodical flow, I have shown a hopperor receiver 13, having an open bottom andahinged gate, as 14:. This gateis normally held closed by a chain 15, which connects with one armofalever 16. This leverissnitably fulcrumed, as at 17, and upon theouter end of the lever is an adjustable'weight 18, by which the gate iskept closed until the tank or receiver has been filled to any desireddepth. The superior weight of the water and pulp upon the gate 14: willthen open the latter and allow the contents to flow down the sluice.This flow may be maintained regularly, if desired, or the gate may be soconstructed that it will open and allow a considerable rush of materialto flow down the sluice. The flowing material will pass beneath theplates 2, 3, and 4., as previouslydescribed, and will thus cause anygold carried by it to contact with some one or more of the plates andeventually be arrested.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a sluice of a counterbalanced plate having asilvered or' anialgamated lower surface, and'means by which said plateis suspended between its opposite ends within the sluice so that thecurrent flowing therethrough will lift and float the plate upon it.

2. The combination with a sluice, a means for supplying a current ofpulp and water thereto,of one or more counterbalanced plates suspendedbetween the ends so that the lower surface will impinge upon the currentflowing beneath, said surface being adapted to catch and arrestparticles of gold floating in the current.

3. The combination with a sluice and a means for supplying a current ofpulp and water thereto, of a plurality of plates having adjustablecounterbalances and pivotally suspended above the sluice so that thelower surfaces are lifted and rest upon the current flowing beneath saidsurface, said plates being convexed and adapted to arrest and holdparticles of passing gold.

4. The combination with a sluice and means for supplying a current ofpulp and water thereto, of one or more plates suspended by the sluicehaving the lower surfaces fixed and adapted to retain particles of goldflowing through the sluice, and adjustable counterbalance-weights bywhich the pressure of the plates upon the flowing current may beregulated. P

5. An apparatus for the saving of gold, consisting of a sluice, aplurality of suspended convex bottomed plates having surfaces adapted toretain particles of gold, adjustable counterbalances for the plates, anda plate having a quicksilver-containing depression over which the pulpis caused to flow after leaving the suspended plates.

6. An apparatus for the saving of gold consisting of a sluice, platessuspended above said sluice having the convex lower surfaces adapted torest upon the current flowing beneath, adjustable counterbalances forthe plates, and a means for supplying material to said sluice,consisting of ahopper or receiver having a gate in the lower part, acounterbalance-lever and connection with said gate, whereby the pressureof material in the receiver opens the gate by overcoming the weight ofthe counterbalance.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALFRED MARCOTTE.

WVitnesses:

S. H. NoURsn, JESSIE O. Bnomn'.

